Home|Conservation Payments, Biodiversity, Measurement, and Agricultural Land Use Policy in Canada

Conservation Payments, Biodiversity, Measurement, and Agricultural Land Use Policy in Canada

Workshop Overview

Canadian farmers can play a critical role in environmental stewardship while managing the land on which they farm. There are a variety of approaches to reward producers for practices that enhance land conservation and improve environmental outcomes.

This one-and-a-half-day workshop will feature new insights from a national survey of producers on their experiences and expectations with conservation programs and a panel discussion on how better biodiversity measurement and data can improve policy outcomes. Participants will spend time after each session collaborating on what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next to build a picture for what the landscape needs to look like to drive more effective conservation programs.

We invite you to join CAPI and Ducks Unlimited Canada for collaborative dialogue, panel discussions, and more with the goal of having participants leave having generated concrete, action-oriented policy recommendations to improve the design, delivery, and impact of conservation incentives across the country.

This workshop is part of CAPI’s Policies for Land Use, Agriculture & Nature (PLAN) program focused on advancing solutions that enable us to feed the world sustainability, protect farmland, preserve nature and biodiversity, and promote food security. This workshop is supported in part by the RBC Foundation through RBC Tech for Nature.

 

Register Here

Day One: June 10th 2025

7:45am   

Transport to Oak Hammond Marsh

8:30am-9:00am   

Registration, Breakfast, Networking

9:00am-9:15am   

Welcome

  • Tyler McCann, Managing Director, Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute

  • Michael Champion, Manager of Industry and Government Relations and Priority Projects – Prairie Region, Ducks Unlimited Canada

9:15am-9:45am   

Setting the Stage: Conservation Payments Survey Results

  • Tyler McCann, Managing Director, Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute

CAPI released a survey earlier this year with the goal of better understanding producer perspectives on conservation programs. This session will highlight the results, diving into the challenges and benefits of conservation payments and how they impact farming operations. This presentation will set the stage for discussions on policy options for shaping better programs that support the economic viability of farms and environmental sustainability.

9:45am-10:15am   

Break, Coffee, Networking

10:15am-11:30am 

Breakout Discussions

 

11:30am-12:30pm 

Lunch, Networking

12:30pm-1:30pm   

Measurement and Data

  • Panelists and Moderator to be confirmed soon!

If we want better programs and policy, we need better data. This session will explore how improved biodiversity measurement and data collection can improve policy outcomes. Panelists will discuss what data is needed, whether it’s already being collected, how it can be better used, and challenges, such as confidentiality and data accessibility. The focus will be on what the landscape will need to look like to drive more effective conservation programs.

1:30pm-2:30pm   

Breakout Discussions

 

2:30pm-2:45pm   

Break, Coffee, Networking

2:45pm-4:00pm

Next Steps: From Ideas to Action

Participants will take the learnings from the day and focus on specific topics gleaned from the presentations and dialogue to develop actionable policy recommendations. Each group spends the session discussing and drafting 1-2 actionable policy recommendations. These policy options are then pitched to the rest of the group. 

4:00pm-4:15pm   

Closing Remarks

  • Tyler McCann, Managing Director, Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute

  • Michael Champion, Manager of Industry and Government Relations and Priority Projects – Prairie Region, Ducks Unlimited Canada

 

Day Two: June 11th 2025

8:30am-9:00am   

Transport to Oak Hammond Marsh

9:00am-12:00pm   

Marsh Tour

And experienced guide will accompany the group, exploring the marsh and learning about the history and management. This will provide opportunity to see conservation in action and provide participants with additional ecological and policy context, and continue the dialogue from day one of the workshop. 

 

Accommodations 

We have a room block at Courtyard Marriott Winnipeg Airport for $189.00 CAD per night. Last Day to book is May 26, 2025. Use this link to book your room.  

Transport to Workshop Location

 The workshop will take place at the Harry J. Evans Discovery Centre, Oak Hammond Marsh, in Stonewall Manitoba. CAPI will be providing transportation from the Courtyard Marriott Winnipeg Airport to the workshop location on the morning of each day and return travel back to the hotel. 

 

Contact

For any questions regarding the workshop, please contact Maya Wiersma Aparicio.